Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Seattle archbishop blesses Pax Christi nonviolence vows

In the presence of parishioners, friends and visitors, members of
three local chapters of Pax Christi, an international Catholic peace
movement, gathered Jan. 17 at St. James Cathedral to take a Vow of
Nonviolence at a Mass with Archbishop Peter Sartain presiding.

Fr.
Michael G. Ryan, pastor of St. James Cathedral, concelebrated the Mass.

Standing in a row holding white tapers, 12 men and women publicly
committed to foster and promote peace in their lives and through their
relationships with others.

Sartain received the vows and concluded their
words with a blessing. It was the first time that the Vow of
Nonviolence had been made in the presence of the archbishop or professed
at St. James Cathedral.Published by Pax Christi in 1985, the vow is based on the belief that
it is possible to be transformed through the love and example of Jesus.
Beginning with these words -- "Recognizing the violence in my own
heart, yet trusting in the goodness and mercy of God" -- the vow
references teachings from the Sermon on the Mount and then lists the
ways that participants seek to integrate Christ's teachings into their
daily lives through a yearlong dedication to peacemaking, care of all
creation, and nonviolence.Recognizing the great challenges that the commitment entails, the vow
ends with a direct appeal to God: "I trust your sustaining love and
believe that just as you gave me the grace and desire to offer this, so
you will also bestow abundant grace to fulfill it."

Their words hold special meaning for Sartain, who mentioned during
his homily that Bishop Carroll Dozier -- who ordained Sartain to the
priesthood in 1978 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the
city of his birth, Memphis, Tenn., and was a significant person in his
life as a young priest -- served as a founding member of Pax Christi USA
during its fledging years and remained active in the organization
throughout his life.

Judy Bettice, who attends St. Patrick's in Memphis, remembers Dozier
urging Catholics to be "Good Samaritans on the banks of the Mississippi"
in his 1971 episcopal ordination speech and in the years after and
recalled that "nonviolence was a thread that ran through all of his
ministries" from ecumenical outreach to his pastoral letters on peace
and economic justice.

Bettice also came to know Sartain when he was a deacon helping with
liturgy preparation and other duties at her former parish, St. Michael
Church, and described his prayers and reflections during one Advent
retreat in particular as an incorporation of poetry and Scripture that
gave a "real sense of beauty, quiet and solitude which set a tone for
the season" and made her feel "that all knowledge and reality are
interconnected and are part of God's creation."Still mindful of the origin and application of words, Sartain pointed
out during his homily in the cathedral that Pax Christi, a Latin
phrase, is translated into English as "peace of Christ."

Reflecting on
the Gospel story of the paralytic lowered from the ceiling by his
friends so that he could draw nearer to Jesus, he explained, "Whenever
we make such a vow [as this one], it is an expression of our commitment
and our trust, that he in whom we make the vow will be faithful in
helping us fulfill the mission."

In his blessing of the participants
following the taking and receiving of their vows, he asked the God of
peace to "make all of us who have been baptized in Christ instruments of
your peace, and compelling advocates for justice in our community."

Mary Sontgerath, a parishioner at nearby Our Lady of the Lake Parish
in Seattle, later said that taking the vow in this public way
represented a natural progression in her own faith journey and provided
an opportunity "to formalize what I had been praying for a couple of
years."

She explained that "this vow also impacts other facets of my
life by continually reminding me to be peaceful myself and to treat all
others in a peaceful manner."

Deacon Denny Duffel of St. Bridget Parish, a member of the Pax
Christi Central group who has helped start a North Seattle chapter,
echoed others' appreciation for the experience and expressed hope that
more people would take the vow in coming years, adding, "It was an honor
to have our archbishop receive our vows, and to profess the vow with
the rest of our group, and with good friends witnessing with us."

According to the Pax Christi USA website, its U.S. membership
includes more than 100 U.S. bishops, 700 parish sponsors, 600 religious
communities, and more than 400 community-oriented groups.

Priorities
adopted by founders of the group remain central to members' efforts and
include disarmament, alternatives to violence, peace education, primacy
of conscience, and a just world order.